How to Make a Planet makes astronomy accessible – and awesome – to middle graders

How to Make a Planet, by Scott Forbes/Illustrated by Jean Camden. Kids Can Press (2012), $17.95, ISBN: 9781894786881

Recommended for ages 8-12

How to Make a Planet takes the best part of an astronomy textbook and makes it accessible to middle grade students. Written as a how-to-guide to making your own planet, Scott Forbes breaks down the entire process of Earth’s formation, from the Big Bang through to the arrival of… well, us. Mr. Forbes writes about quarks and neutrons, the periodic table of elements and continental drift, all in a way that neither speaks down to his audience nor bores them. Accompanied by Jean Camden’s fun illustrations, including kids working on their planetary masterpiece and bike riding across the solar system, with giant insects, dinosaurs and more, there is always something exciting to read and see. A running “Time Check” box contains information bullets describing what’s happening at different intervals in the Earth’s creation. There is an Amazing Facts page, glossary and index.

This book is a great resource for teachers and librarians to have available in classroom, school, and public libraries. It’s a great way increase science literacy and interest younger readers in the sciences.

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I'm a mom, a children's librarian, bibliophile, and obsessive knitter. I'm a pop culture junkie and a proud nerd, and favorite reads usually fall into Sci-Fi/Fantasy. I review comics and graphic novels at WhatchaReading (http://whatchareading.com).
I'm also the co-founder of On Wednesdays We Wear Capes (http://www.onwednesdays.net/), where I discuss pop culture and geek fandom from a female point of view.
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